Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-03
WAR HISTORY.
The Southern Bivouac Prints the Sec
ond Paper on the Famous North
western Conspiracy.
A Very Interesting Letter from Jacob
Thompson to Mason and SIidell.
ENJOYS to France and England.
The Attitude of Napoleon and the English
Government to the Southern Con
federacy Set Forth.

federacy Set Forth.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Jan. 2.-The Janu-
ary number of the outhern Bivouac will
contain the second paper on 1.-THE North.
western Conspiracy" 10 this the writer
devotes much space to a narrative of the
efforts made by Jacob Thompson, especial
commissioner of the Confederate states
in Canada" in the summer of 1864, with
view to interesting prominent men OF
the North in the furtherance Of peace
policy. The article gives an interes-
ate commissioners efforts, his con-
ferepces with Hon. Jeremiah
S Black, C. L. Vallsndingham and 9TH
ers, his futile efforts to establish North
western conf-derIcy to act IN conjunc-
ton with the Southern confederscy, q
critical analysis of the federal constitu-
ton, its powers and limitations, etc. The
article throws much light on the matter
of the Northwestern Confederacy," and
shows that the parties prominently en-
gagged in it were actuated by a desire to
stop the civil warfare and arrive at some
Just solution of the matter by consti.u-
tional remedies.
The article closed with the following
letter: "Toronto, Aug. 81, 1864 j ohu
Slidell, Minister to France; Hon. Jas. NJ
Mason, Minister to Great Britain: Gen
tlemen-In May, last, accompanied by
Hon. c. G. Clay of Alabama, | was duly
commissioned by the president OF
the Confederate states, provided
with funds, and invited 10 proceed
to Canada without delay and ascertain
public sentiment and the feeling of the
people OF the United States, and so far as
practicable and honorable to utilize the
prtjudices existing against the conduct OF
the war for the advancement of the inter
ests Of the InfederateI states at Montreal
We had various conferences with repre-
sentative men Ut the North with view to
forming in the outset some basis
which should govern our opinion
as to the best course to pursue thereaf-
ter. Grant was advancing on Richmond
and the papers of the North commended
that The battles of Spottsylvania, the
Wilderness and Cold Bar were victories,
and that Grants mastery flank movement
would result in destroying Lees army in
llOIG VI ltINuLlObu' bdS - vas
advancing on Atlanta with sufficient force
and that he would inevitably defeat John
son in Georgia, and thus animated by sue
cessful military movements q reasonable
confidence existed in the currency Of the
United States, and beyond this
those classes of the people found
in the Northern and Eastern states who
make money out of wars, were
growing rich thereby and used whatever
Influence they possessed in favor of its
continued prosecution. All things con-
sidered, the result of the conferences we
had held at Montreal led me to conclude
that Lincoln would be reelected over
whelmingly and thus there would be con-
tinued the present policy of the admins
tration for four years more. In discour-
agement went to Windsor, where an
had been made with Hon.
Element o. Vallandigham who expressed
the sentiment of the peace party Of the
United States that if Grant failed before
Richmond and Sherman was not success
ful in Georgia, peace candidate might
be nominated and elected TO the presi-
6ency. He informed me Of the existence
in the Western states of an order known
as the Sons of Liberty, the basis of whose
organiza ion was state sovereignty,
sts{es rights and Individual freedom, and
whose rank and file could be relied upon
too hey the orders of officers placed over
them. The United States govern
ment had Confederate prisoners ia
Chicago and Rock Island, Ill,
amounting to about $4,000 and at Indian
apoIis, Ind, about 5000. The membership
of the Sons Of Liberty in Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio is, in the aggregate, about l70,-
900. 1t can be confidently, l feel, so ar
ranged that these states shall be Or
ganized in a Western Confederacy with
such advantages as will enable them to
dictate peace to the United States gov
To this end l am addressing
every energy that is practicable and rea-
sonable to assist the Nurthwestern p-o-
pie, and everything justifes the belief
that success will be the ultimate
end Of the undertaking. 1t is pro-
posed by the Northwestern people
to take possession of the present organ
lied governments of the three mentioned
states and organize provisional govern
ments fsr the purpose in view of the
severity Of military orders, the total dis
regard of private rights and personal lib
erty in the Western states of Kentucky,
Missouri, Indians, Illinois and Ohio has
the people to madness and pre-
pared them in their desperation to seize
upon the first glimmer of hope to dare all
and in doing so 10 regain what they have
ost. IE order to arouse the people
political meetings have been called. peace
meetings have been held and infimmatory
addresses delivered. Whenever the or
ltors expressed themselves for peace with
restoration of the Union, and if that
cannot be, then peace on any terms the
cheers and clsmors of the masses have
Lpown no bounds. Correspondence has
asenerecently had betw cen some men,
GERS of our commission ana represents
ives OF the United States government, q
'opy of which you have no doubt seen.
after an interview with Greeley, Lincoln
las been led to issue this remarkable
manifesto "to all whom it may concern"
aking the ground that he will listen to
10 proposition which does not en-
race total abandonment of slavery
he i'm preston left on the public mind
d the North By this correspondence is